Ryan RayAs with any majority-party legislative leadership race, the Senate presidency battle between Clearwater state Sen. Jack Latvala and state Sen. Joe Negron of Stuart is going to cost a lot of money.
Neither hopeful has been a slouch raising it, according to end-of-year finance reports. Latvala’s Florida Leadership Committee took in about $75,000 in December alone, raising its total collected to more than $2.6 million, while Negron’s Treasure Coast Alliance brought in $86,000 for a total of $1.95 million overall.
The senior Republicans spent a great deal of their war chests during the 2014 campaign cycle, with each maintaining slightly less than $500,000 on hand.
Since those elections, the momentum is said to have shifted slightly towards Negron’s side. Latvala’s chances took a hit when a challenge to his ally Ellyn Bogdanoff was staved off by incumbent Democratic state Sen. Maria Sachs.
Both Stetson University alums will sit on the powerful Rules Committee, where state Sen. David Simmons of Altamonte Springs will take over as chair following former state Sen. John Thrasher. Each will also have a fiefdom of his own. Negron will chair Civil and Criminal Justice Appropriations; Latvala will chair Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development Appropriations.
